Engwe C20 Pro Folding E-Bike Review – More sensible vs Engwe Engine Pro & cheaper vs ADO A20 XE

Back in August, I reviewed the excellent Engwe Engine Pro foldable electric bike. It was a bit of a beast with a  750W motor that is not restricted to UK speed limits and is capable of going up to 28mph / 45kph. It also weighed a massive 32KG and cost over £1200. As good as it was, it was perhaps not the most sensible option for UK roads and commuting.

The Engwe C20 Pro scales things back into a more sensible package. Priced at 900 Euros, it is around £800, making it one of the more affordable options I have reviewed. It weighs just 25KG, and the motor is 250W, which is the UK legal limit.

It does have a throttle and can go faster than the quoted 25km/h, so you should still practice caution when riding this on the road.

Due to the throttle and faster than 25km/h speed, you shouldn’t ride this on the road at all. I am not suggesting you should ride it on the road, but if you do, my recommendation is to be sensible.

Specification

• 250W Brushless Motor
• 5 speeds levels, quote 25km/h max speed, but more like 35km/h
• 20×3.0 All Terrain Fat Tires
• 3 Step Alloy Foldable Frame
• 2.4 Inch Front Fork & Rear Suspension
• 36V 19.2Ah Lithium Removable Battery
• 6-hour charge time
• 150km per charge moped mode
• Built-in throttle
• 0-25km/h speed (UK limit)
• Assist Intelligent 0~5 Level Pedal Assist
• Front and rear mechanical disk breaks
• Bright LED front light
• Cruise Control
• Color LCD Display
• Shimano 7 Speed System
• 330 lb / 150 kg Max Load
• Recommended Rider Heights 5’2″ ~ 6’4″
• 25KG weight

Engwe C20 Pro vs Engwe Engine Pro

I previously reviewed the Engwe Engine Pro, which costs more than 50% more. It was a fun bike to ride, and I enjoyed reviewing it.

There are a few key differences:

• The Engwe Engine Pro has a 750W motor allowing you to go up to 28mph / 45kph. It is, therefore, against the law to ride this on the road in the UK unless it is registered with the DVLA as a light moped (L1e-B).
• At 31.6KG weight, it is very heavy. The C20 Pro is quite heavy at 25kg, but the extra 6.6kg makes the Engine Pro quite awkward to move around.
• You have fatter tires which make it a bit more comfortable to ride, and there is a built-in pannier rack with decent mudguards. There is also a rear suspension.This makes the overall ride experience a bit more pleasurable and makes it easier to carry cargo with you, but it adds to its overall bulkiness.
• It also has 8 gears vs 7 gears on this bike. This should make it easier to cycle around, but I suspect anyone riding a 750W eBike isn’t doing a great deal of cycling.

Build

Unlike my recent review of the Vanpowers City Vanture, there is barely anything you need to do to assemble this bike. You could probably have it assembled in a few minutes. However, I found that Engwe let themselves down here with some truly awful instructions. I should have checked my original Engwe review because I had a similar problem with the poor manual.

Once again, I had problems mounting the handle post. The instructions basically say to insert the post, and it does not really make a great deal of sense. What I did, was unscrew the cap on the bike, and insert the post. Unlatch the locking mechanism allowing it to fold. This then exposes the bolt that you need to tighten to fasten the post into place.

It was a relatively simple job in the end and basically the same process as all foldable bikes, so I am a bit of an idiot, but it could be unnecessarily complex for anyone not familiar with these things.

Apart from that, it is just a case of attaching the front wheel, pedals and seat post.

You will then need to pump up the tyres and charge the bike.

To switch on the bike, you need to use the keys with the keyhole located under the frame. Then another thing that caught me out, the power button is quite small, located under where the down key is.

UK Road Legality

With this being a 250W bike with a claimed maximum speed of 25km/h, it is, in theory, legal to use on the road, just like any other non-electric bike.

However, there is a throttle on this, which is against UK law. I doubt the police would notice or care, but I’d recommend using pedal assist rather than the throttle.

During my testing, I also found that it hit 35km/h rather than 25km/h.

Ride Experience

The overall ride experience of this bike is good. It is not quite as smooth as the Engwe Engine Pro with its fatter wheels and rear suspension. However, this is physically smaller and lighter, and I find it a bit easier to move around, especially getting it in and out of the house.

One thing I am not overly keen on is the front suspension. It is quite soft, which is good for bumpy rides, but I generally ride on the road, and I’d prefer to be able to lock it out.

The electric assist is speed triggered, and I found it takes a few seconds to kick in. Even though the throttle is not UK-legal, I found myself using this from standing starts, allowing me to accelerate quickly at junctions, I’d then normally switch to the pedal assist.

Going on a flat into the wind, I hit 31km/h, and with the wind behind me, it settled at 35km/h. Even on the level 4 assist, it would go a touch higher than 25km/h, I’d probably stick to this level on UK roads. I’d also recommend sticking with pedal assist on UK roads, not peddling and travelling at high speeds is a bit of a giveaway.

The motor is powerful enough to take you up moderate inclines without peddling, but a steep incline will strain it too much. On the promenade where I live, there is a footpath leading from the lower promenade to the upper level. It has two sections, one quite steep then a shorter bit that is very steep. Going into the hill at full speed, it easily tackled the first section, but as soon as it hit the steep part, the speed dropped below 10km/h, and I had to pedal. With a small amount of effort, I was able to get it up the hill. I didn’t have to stand to apply power, unlike the single-gear Vanpowers.

I am quite tall at just over 6ft 1 inch. But I found the overall ride position quite comfortable. My knees don’t get too close to the handlebars, and the seat has enough adjustment that I can pedal comfortably with a decent range of motion. However, this is a compact foldable bike; peddling without the electonic assist is OK, but you don’t have the cycling experience you would from a full-sized hybrid like the Vanpowers. It is fine for casual speeds, you just don’t have the right ride position or range of motion to apply enough power for a faster-unassisted ride.

There was a noticeable amount of rattling from the front of the bike. I suspect this is my poor job of mounting the front post, but it is possibly the suspension.

The bike has mechanical, not hydraulic, disk brakes. I found that these are adequate in most scenarios, but they are probably not aggressive enough if you need to brake quickly from high speeds.

During my first test, it was dusk and misty, so the front light was quite useful and was activated by the side button on the controller.

Battery / Range

The charger has an EU plug on the end, but Engwe supplies an EU adaptor.

Engwe states this it takes 6 hours to fully charge. I’d guess this is about right, it felt like a very long time for the LED to go green on the charger.

This bike claims a massive range of 150km or 95 miles, and that is in moped mode, not pedal assist. I mostly use pedal assist, and I have done about 40km on it and the battery still seems to be above half way.

With this being foldable, when you fold the frame, you can remove the battery and charge it independently. This should be quite useful for commuters, allowing you to charge it in the office without dragging the whole bike inside.

Price and Alternative Options

The Engwe C20 Pro is priced at €900 when bought directly from Engwe EU. This works out at around £775, which I think is quite reasonable.

The Engwe Engine Pro is about 60% more expensive. It is a much better bike, I am just not convinced it is 60% better, and I found it quite heavy and unwieldy for me to consider using it on the regular.

I am in the process of reviewing the ADO A20 XE foldable bike. This is smaller and lighter, but it has a shorter range and no throttle. It is priced at £1,069, which makes the Engwe C20 Pro look like a bargain. Part of me does prefer the ADO more, though, the smaller size and lighter weight lends itself well to the foldable nature. It’s just not £300 better.

Overall

As much fun as the Engwe Engine Pro was to ride and review. I think the Engwe C20 Pro is a bit more practical for the UK market. There is, of course, a massive price difference, but the motor falls within the UK legal limits, albeit the top speed is faster. It is smaller and lighter, so a bit easier for anyone wanting to use this for commuting.

It lacks a luggage/pannier rack, which many commuters will likely want. You can likely resolve this issue by using a third-party rack with many options available on Amazon.

Overall, this is an excellent choice for anyone wanting a relatively affordable foldable bike that is ideally suited for commuting in the UK.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.